317 FXUS63 KOAX 100938 AFDOAXArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Omaha/Valley NE 438 AM CDT Fri Oct 10 2025
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Dry and cooler conditions expected for Friday with highs in the mid to upper 70s and northeasterly winds at 10 to 15 mph.
- Active pattern expected for Saturday and Sunday with a 15 to 30% chance for showers and storms, primarily across northeast Nebraska. Gusty southerly winds are expected on Saturday and Sunday.
- Temperatures cool Monday and Tuesday to the low to mid 60s.
&&
.DISCUSSION... Issued at 440 AM CDT Fri Oct 10 2025
The H5 pattern is highlighted by a 546dam closed low off the West Coast, and quasi-linear flow separating the Yankees and Cunucks. A powerful shortwave north of Winnipeg has drug a cold front through most of Nebraska, but it is just passing through Sioux City and Columbus as of 3am. Far southwest Iowa saw some spotty isolated showers and thunderstorms between midnight and 3am before pushing east. These were tied to some elevated instability and the convergence along the front. The remainder of the day will be dry.
Temperatures this morning will fall close to 60F ahead of the front. Albion and Neligh have already fallen below 50 as will other locations closer to SoDak. As the sfc high passes north of the area today, subsidence will keep skies mostly sunny. Highs will peak in the mid to upper-70s. NNW winds this morning will become easterly by midnight and southerly by Saturday.
. SATURDAY...
The southerly winds in central Nebraska and increasing clouds will prevent western thermometers from dipping too far, but there`s a good set-up for radiational cooling over the eastern half of the CWA. BUFKIT soundings show dry low levels, calm winds, and clear skies over the Missouri River valley and western Iowa where temps will fall into the mid-40s.
As the Pacific closed low pushes east, it will open up and eject shortwaves through the central CONUS. Southerly winds increase Saturday, especially west of the Missouri River. Expect gusts as high as 30-35 mph. The mercury should reach the 70s again. Saturday night`s precip is likely to miss this area just to the west and north, though 10-30% PoPs are warranted north of Hwy 20, propped up in part thanks to the LLJ.
.SUNDAY and NEXT WEEK...
Cyclogenesis in the lee of the Rockies produces a quickly deepening surface low across the Williston, ND area by Sunday morning. More breezy southerly winds (gusts to 35mph) are forecast for Sunday, pushing temps even further above seasonal norms (80s). A cold front slices through the area on Sunday night and is to blame for the NBM`s smudge of 15-25% PoPs Sunday night and Monday morning.
By Tuesday, 00Z global models suggest a cutoff low develops over the California coast with H5 ridging north of it to various degrees (Rex block). Regardless, this will leave southwest flow over the Desert Southwest and moisture transported directly into the Corn Belt. Timing of short-waves is a futile exercise this far out, but the regular 15-20% PoPs of the NBM are reasonable to account for their likelihood. The pattern is also conducive to warming temps. After 60s of Monday and Tuesday, the 7-day forecast should end with highs in the 70s for Thursday.
The CPC`s 6-10 day and 8-14 day outlook suggest odds favor warmer than average temperatures and wetter than normal conditions. The moisture will be welcomed as yesterday`s updated drought monitor expanded the DO category (abnormally dry) over much of northeast Nebraska and northwest Iowa.
&&
.AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SATURDAY/... Issued at 1132 PM CDT Thu Oct 9 2025
VFR conditions will prevail through the forecast period, with SCT-BKN clouds at or above FL035 overnight into Friday morning. A possible exception is between 09z-12z at KOMA, where model guidance continues to indicate the potential for temporary MVFR ceilings. Otherwise, a cold front extending from far northwest IA through KOFK into south-central NE as 0430z will continue southeast overnight, reaching KLNK by about 11z, and KOMA around 12z. Some patchy fog could develop ahead of the front, with that occurrence most likely at KLNK where fewer clouds are expected to exist. Winds will switch to northwest, then north, and eventually northeast behind the front with sustained speeds of around 12 kt at KOMA and KLNK on Friday.
&&
.OAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...None. IA...None.
&&
$$
DISCUSSION...Nicolaisen AVIATION...Mead
NWS OAX Office Area Forecast Discussion